Wheel of Fortune
by Basalit-an
Summary: DJ was not a wise man, but he was a lucky man. Sometimes, that was enough. When DJ hatches a plan to steal a valuable ring from one of the galaxy's most notorious arms dealers, he finds his luck has finally started to turn.
1. Chapter 1

Lyra's apartment was dark and silent when she walked in, her high heels in her hand. The door slid closed behind her and locked automatically, and she dropped her heels by the door. She called out, "Lights," and the room was illuminated by the two light fixtures in the ceiling of her living room as well as in the hallway.

Sighing from fatigue, Lyra untied her headband and pulled it off, dropping it on the lounge chair she passed by on her way down the hall. She slid the silver ribbons off her lekku, draping them over her shoulder, as she walked toward her bedroom.

The door was closed over, which made her pause. Lyra lived alone, and so she rarely closed any of her doors. As her ears adjusted to the quiet, she heard breathing coming from inside her room. She quickly lifted up the gown of her silver dress and pulled a small dagger from her garter belt. She wasn't supposed to be armed while on shift, but a lifetime's experience had taught her to be cautious.

She heard what sounded like movement inside…and then a muffled snore.

Lyra pushed the door to her bedroom open, discovering her old friend and occasional headache, DJ. He was dead to the world in her bed, laying face-down and spread-eagle. With another sigh, this one of relief, Lyra put her knife down on her dresser and approached the bed.

She sat next to him and tried to gently shake him awake, but the alcoholic stench coming off his breath told her he wouldn't be waking anytime soon.

Whatever had possessed him to get passed-out drunk in the midst of Nar Shaddaa, come to her apartment, and break in for a nap, Lyra wouldn't find out for some time. DJ certainly enjoyed a good time, especially if he had suddenly come into a big payout. Typically he was a little more careful about becoming so intoxicated that he would be unable to defend himself in case he got into any trouble, but if the mood took him…

Lyra just shook her head.

Her bed was much bigger than she needed, but DJ was a big man, and he took up the whole thing with the way he was laying. He was still fully dressed, so Lyra pulled his coat off and draped it over a chair. Coins jingled in the pockets, and DJ stirred, making Lyra pause. He turned over onto his back, but remained asleep. She pulled off his boots and collected his hat, putting them with his coat. She wouldn't be able to get his holster off, but she removed his blaster and put it on her end table.

She watched him for a time, taking in how he looked. Other than needing a wash, which wasn't uncommon with DJ, he looked a good deal better than the last time they had met. His hair had been recently trimmed, his ever-present stubble wasn't too out of control. He looked more filled out—almost a little too filled out—telling Lyra he had recently seen a turn in his luck.

Picking up the blanket she had kicked to the floor that morning, Lyra draped it over DJ and grabbed her sleeping clothes from her dresser before leaving him to sleep off his drunkenness.

 _The previous evening…_

It was a drizzly evening on Nar Shaddaa, but DJ barely felt the stinking rain on his face as he followed a throng of people down a busy street. For once, he was heading where the trendy crowds were headed: to Centrephalia, one of Nar Shaddaa's premier clubs.

He looked entirely out of place surrounded by crowds of young people dressed in fashionable clothes. Clad as always in his long leather coat, brown trousers, and black boots, and no doubt at least twice the average age of the people around him, DJ nonetheless sauntered in the building lit by tens of thousands of colorful lights. He met no resistance, but he wasn't exactly _in_ yet.

Centrephalia was a twenty-story building, with independent clubs on every floor. DJ needed to get to the very top to Centrephalia 20, a private venue holding a birthday party of none other than the notorious weapons dealer Gaius Argonar. DJ didn't exactly have an invitation, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

"Don't join," a voice said quietly behind him. DJ whipped around to be met with a short, stocky man with striking red hair. "Of all the fashionable hats in this place, that one's pretty unique." He spoke with a very light brogue.

"Mad-d-de it myself," DJ said lightly.

"You seem like a crafty one," the man said, a smile on his thin lips. "Where might ya be headed?"

"Wherever Lady Luck t-t-takes me," DJ said. The man smile broadened.

"The Lady certainly be smilin' on ya tonight, my friend," the man said, putting an arm around DJ's shoulders. It was rather difficult for him, as DJ was well over a head taller than him. "How'd you like to go to a real knock-out of a party?"

"Sounds exact-t-tly what I'm looking for," DJ said with a grin. He had a good feeling about this ginger gentleman.

The man led DJ to the elevator pads and was pleased when they appeared on the twentieth floor. They were in a foyer strewn with men, women, and otherwise lingering with each other in the relative quiet. The ginger man walked past these people to the automatic doors which opened as he approached, and the music increased in volume by tenfold.

DJ followed the man through the doors and was immediately surrounded by dozens of dancing bodies. He felt the beat of the electronic music in his bones. The air tasted of alcohol and adrenaline. Strobing lights colored the floor and bodies, making everyone appear green, gold, purple, and pink. Twenty or thirty years ago, this was DJ's kind of scene. Even now, the thought of losing himself in goodness knows what sort of substances were floating around the crowds was more than appealing. But DJ was here for a purpose.

Focusing on his guide, DJ followed the man through the crowd toward the back part of the club where a dozen or so tables were set up piled high with all manner of food. Of the offerings DJ could identify, there were fruits, meats, cheeses, nuts, and breads all arranged in colorful arrangements. Even as packed full of people as the private club was, the amount of food offered seemed extremely excessive. Partygoers loitered about the tables, taking nibbles here and there before returning to the dance floor or heading to the massive bar on the adjacent end of the club.

"There he be," the man said into DJ's ear and pointed to the table at the very back of the room. At the head of the table was a twi'lek man reclining in a carved wooden chair. He was surrounded by a half-dozen men looking menacing and a few very attractive alien women. DJ had never seen Gaius Argonar before, and despite his reputation, his appearance was quite unexpected.

Even sitting, the man looked massive. His long legs stretched out before him, DJ figured he may be almost a head taller than the thief. He was fat, extremely so, but his broad frame and muscular build made him look formidable. He was dressed very unlike a twi'lek male, but strikingly stylish nonetheless. He wore well-pressed gray slacks, a crisp white short-sleeved shirt, and a matching gray waistcoat, with not a thread out of place. His lavender skin looked blue under the flashing lights, but the tattoos on his forearms were visible. Like the rest of his body, his lekku were long and thick, and they rested on his shoulders, the tips pointed upward.

He picked up a very long, wriggling worm from a jar on the table next to him and slurped it down, following it with a draft of foamy beer he drained in one go. DJ knew twi'leks could eat just about anything, but Gaius was known for eating everything.

A glittering in the light caught DJ's eye. The ring was perched on his pinky finger, the crystal set in it almost calling to DJ. That was the entire reason DJ had tracked Gaius down and come to this party. He felt restless to get his hands on it.

The man DJ had followed walked up to Gaius. Gaius smiled and sat forward to talk to the man, shaking hands with him. After a few seconds, Gaius' gaze slid to DJ. DJ took that as his cue and approached, watching as Gaius' gaze swept over him.

"So you're the little pest I've been hearing about that's been tormenting the galaxy," Gaius said. His deep voice sounded clear even over the music. He spoke Basic perfectly with no hint of any sort of Ryloth accent.

DJ grinned. "I do my b-b-best," he said.

Gaius laughed, a booming roar that drew attention from nearby dancers. "I just had a feeling I'd like you," he said. He gestured to someone behind DJ. "Maybe you could help me shake up this stuffy old moon."

A droid walked over to DJ and handed him a tall mug of foamy beer. The droid's body looked like a voluptuous woman, curvy hips and all. DJ couldn't help but watch as she walked away, making Gaius laugh some more.

"I can get you a model just like her," Gaius said, kicking out a chair from the table. He gestured for DJ to sit down. "Newer, too."

"Can't-t-t say I wouldn't find-d-d a use for her," DJ said as he sat down. He was on Gaius' right, and that ring was just inches from him. DJ could feel they crystal's energy. Although it didn't glow, it was certainly active.

"I've heard your name from a few clients," Gaius said, pulling a plate of seared meat closer to him. "Can't say they sang your praises, but what they did talk about always sounded, shall we say, exciting." He bit a huge chunk of meat off and chewed it a bit while DJ sipped his drink. "And to my delight, here you are! At my party, no less." He spoke with his mouth full. If he possessed any twi'lek etiquette, he wasn't dispositioned to display it here.

"Quite a p-p-party," DJ commented, watching Gaius drain a second mug of beer.

"Indeed! And why shouldn't it be?" Gaius said, slamming his fist down on the table. "I know what I enjoy and I have the means to procure them." He grinned over at a pair of curvy women who looked over when he slammed his fist. "Why shouldn't I enjoy it? Certainly most other members of my unfortunate species would react with disgust at this excess. As if a stringent lifestyle makes you a better man." Gaius leaned in close to DJ, his breath reeking of alcohol, his face deeply flushed. "But I'm not the one selling off my own, am I?"

"More p-p-power to you," DJ said, raising his glass a bit. Gaius laughed in response and clapped DJ on the shoulder so hard DJ was almost knocked out his chair.

DJ had lost track of the redheaded man, but he reappeared just then to set down a bottle of very fine whiskey on the table. "Ah, Joiner," Gaius said with delight, "I do believe you are telepathic." DJ looked at the man apparently called Joiner (is that why he liked DJ's hat?) and was struck by his appearance.

In the lobby of Centrephalia, Joiner looked like any other hype man looking for partygoers. He was dressed well but ultimately unthreatening. Now, he was armed to the absolute teeth, with two blasters in holsters on his hips, a sheathed knife attached to a band on his upper arm, and what was undoubtedly a _lightsaber_ attached to his belt. Overall, Joiner looked rougher too—his face was ruddier, his blue eyes were ringed with dark circles, and there was a nasty old scar along his cheek that his ginger scruff did nothing to hide. DJ should have noticed that scar in the lobby; there could be only one reason why he didn't.

Joiner met DJ's eyes, and an understanding passed between them as Joiner sat down across from DJ and poured out three shots of whiskey. Joiner was Force-sensitive; Joiner knew DJ was Force-sensitive; Joiner knew DJ was up to no good. A wiser man would abandon any nefarious plan at this point and enjoy being in the good grace of Gaius Argonar.

DJ was not a wise man.


	2. Chapter 2

DJ wasn't entirely certain where he was when he first woke up. He opened his eyes to find himself in a woman's bedroom. Dresses were draped over the end of the bed and on a wooden wardrobe; make-up populated the surface of a small vanity; even the blanket he was under smelled distinctly feminine. But not just feminine—familiar. Indeed, he knew this scent very well. It was Lyra.

He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest of movement. His head pounded, feeling like someone was crushing his skull between their hands. His stomach did a flip, and it took every ounce of DJ's willpower not to vomit. With a groan, let his body go limp, closing his eyes again.

Slowly the previous night came back to him: the party, the target, the treasure. DJ couldn't recall what had happened after he seized that ring, but he realized he must have that he had come to Lyra's apartment. Yes, he'd come to Lyra's apartment because it was the one place on Nar Shaddaa, and possibly in this entire region of the galaxy, where DJ could sleep off the consequences of his latest job in relative peace. It wasn't easy out-drinking a man who was known to have four stomachs, even if he was already drunk.

Little by little, DJ worked up the effort needed to pull himself up into a sitting position. His whole body felt on fire. And standing was a whole other process. Once DJ was even able to get his feet under him, it took him a good long while before he stood up…and he immediately sat back down, overcome with a bout of dizziness which only served to worsen his nausea.

Sitting there, he noticed his coat, hat, and boots were neatly set aside on the chair by the vanity. Their careful placement made DJ smile a bit. He reached over and pulled the chair closer to him, upsetting his boots and knocking his hat to the ground. Reaching into one of the pockets of his coat, DJ felt around until his fingers closed around a thick metal ring with a crystal set into it. Its buzzing energy felt almost comforting.

He slipped the ring into his trouser pocket. He had quite the plans for that little stone.

A few minutes later, DJ stood up and made himself stay up, despite every fiber in his body seeking to bring him down again. He took a few tentative steps toward the door, grasping onto the bed and then the dresser and finally the wall. He made his way down the hall like this until he came out into the living area, where he forced himself to stand up tall.

Lyra was awake, laying on her lounge chair and reading a book. She looked absolutely delightful in a deep blue fitted halter dress that complemented her lavender skin. Their gazes met, and Lyra attempted to look irritated with DJ, but he noticed the way her lekku twitched forward. She'd been concerned about him the whole time, and she couldn't hide it if she tried. The thought made DJ smirk.

"Mornin'," he said, his voice like sandpaper.

"It's past midday," Lyra said, putting her book down and getting to her feet. "I bet you're hungry."

DJ's stomach churned at the mention of food. It was a rare day indeed when DJ would turn down a free meal, but he was certain he had eaten enough at Gaius' party to keep him filled for the next month. Assuming he didn't puke it all up. "I need-d-d a ship," he said.

"You always need a ship," she said, her voice gaining an edge. "I'm not a used ship salesman, you know."

DJ walked over—well, stumbled over—to Lyra and put his hands on her shoulders. He mainly did it to steady himself, as the room was spinning, "I n-need t-t-to get-t-t away f-from this p-p-place f-for a g-g-good long while," he said. He was absolutely murdering his speech in his state, but Lyra seemed to understand him anyway.

She gazed right into his eyes, her own a whirlpool of emotions that DJ would rather go unacknowledged. She reached up and put a cool hand on his cheek. "What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into now?" she asked.

Almost on cue, there was a heavy pounding on her door which made them both jump. Lyra stared at the door but didn't move. DJ glanced out the window, trying to work out an escape plan. Lyra's apartment was twenty stories up; there wasn't much place to go besides through the front door.

There was blaster fire, and then the door popped open. Lyra scurried over to her coffee table where a blaster lay and grabbed it. DJ was motionless as he watched Joiner walk in the door, blaster pointed to the ceiling. He was whistling a tune DJ did not recognize.

"Who the hell-?!" Lyra said, aiming her blaster at him.

Joiner's gaze swept over Lyra almost lazily. "Quite a bonnie lass ya have here," he said. "Boss ain't too keen on tail-head girls, or I'd aim to bring her too."

Lyra cursed in Huttese of all languages and shot at Joiner. In the half-second it took the energy beam to travel from the blaster to its target, Joiner drew his lightsaber, lit its green blade, and deflected the beam, sending it into the metal wall behind him. The room shook with the blast.

"What did you bring here?" Lyra breathed. She somehow sounded annoyed and terrified at the same time.

Joiner turned off his lightsaber and slipped it back on his belt. Then he aimed his blaster at DJ. "Come along, laddie. You're in no shape to dance with me." He grinned, exposing crooked, yellowed teeth. "I made certain of that."

DJ was struck by that comment. That previous night, after they polished off the whiskey, the alcohol kept flowing. Tequila, vodka, rum, gin, from all over the galaxy, appeared on that table. It had nearly killed him, but DJ had managed to out-drink Gaius and the twi'lek man had passed out. Surely DJ had made sure Joiner was out too. How else would he have been able to slip the ring off Gaius and somehow make his way to Lyra's place?

In all honesty, DJ's memory was just a step from blank. Of course he missed that Joiner was watching him.

"Oh hell, this is takin' too long," Joiner grumbled, and he shot them both.


	3. Chapter 3

Gaius was sitting at the bar in the empty club when Joiner returned, DJ in tow. The thief looked a lot rougher than he had the previous night; Gaius put it down to how much DJ had put away. He was quite impressed a human could drink so much without perishing. He'd only ever seen Joiner drink that much before.

Joiner shoved DJ forward, and DJ stumbled and fell to his knees. Gaius stood up and gazed down at DJ, noticing how less remarkable he looked without that big coat on. There wasn't anything significant about this human. Much like most scum in the galaxy, he was only a disappointment.

DJ started to get up, so Gaius kicked him in the ribs. DJ went down, coughing and gasping at the wind being knocked out of him.

"You're no different from every other worm that crawls across these stars, are you?" Gaius said.

"N-never claimed t-t-to be," DJ muttered, his words broken up by his heavy breathing. He once again tried to rise, and Gaius kicked him back down on his back.

"Return to me what you stole," Gaius demanded.

DJ coughed. "What m-makes you think-k I st-t-till got it?"

"You had no plans to sell it," Gaius said, "even though it could net you quite a lot of money. Just this one time, your want for power usurped your love for money."

DJ laughed, and Gaius only felt his anger surge. Joiner stepped forward and stepped on DJ's chest, then bent down and rummaged through his pockets. Joiner recovered the ring, the crystal glowing green in his hand.

Gaius' relief was almost big enough to erase his anger. He reached out to take the ring from Joiner, but suddenly Joiner was shoved from behind and fell hard against Gaius, dropping the ring.

Gaius caught him, and he saw DJ scramble to grab the ring and back away. No doubt the thief had Force-pushed Joiner, but he shouldn't have the energy for such a thing. "The hell is wrong with you?" he demanded of Joiner.

"Sonofabitch," Joiner growled, pushing away from Gaius He turned to DJ, his face red. "Cheap trick."

Gaius looked back to DJ, who had gotten to his feet. He was holding the ring, the crystal was glowing in his hand. "Money, power," DJ said, slipping the ring on his left pinky to join his existing collection of rings on that hand. "Just-t-t a means to an end. I want what-t-t you want, Gaius."

Gaius glared. "And what is that, exactly?"

DJ grinned. "Freedom."

Centrephalia was technically open, but there weren't many people there during the daylight hours. What became hip and happening clubs at night became sensible conference rooms during the day. There were several business men filing into the building, but Lyra shoved past all of them and headed to the elevator pads.

After she had woken up from being stunned, Lyra immediately tore through DJ's coat to find any clue as to where she may find him. Amongst his various wares and a hefty amount of betting chips, she found a cork with the name _Centrephalia - 20_ embossed on it. She wasn't certain what she would find there, so she grabbed her blaster and her ship and set off.

The twentieth floor was inaccessible to the public. That wouldn't stop Lyra. Having anticipated this, as it was the daytime, she brought along a chipkey she borrowed from DJ's coat which she used to force the elevator pad to send her to the twentieth floor.

The foyer was empty save for two guards stationed at the door. They saw her, but Lyra had her blaster at the ready. She only had it on stun, but she shot both of the guards and they went down. She approached the automatic doors, expecting them to be locked, but they opened for her.

She saw DJ first, his back to her. She was simply relieved to see him on his feet. On the other side of the large, empty club were two men—the short stocky one who had blasted Lyra's front door, and a very broad, overweight twi'lek man with lavender skin.

Lyra ran to DJ's side, her blaster aimed at the men at the bar. DJ glanced to her, looking way too pleased with himself. "C-c-cavalry's here."

Lyra resisted the urge to smack him upside the head. "I am not your cavalry," she hissed. "But someone is paying for that damage to my wall." She glared at the short human man.

He rolled his eyes, then reached out with his arm and pulled it back. Suddenly Lyra's blaster was ripped from her hand, and it flew right into his as if he commanded it. He pointed the hot end at her and DJ with a smirk. "Aye, lassie, I'd'a thought ya'd try that. Let's just finish this now."

Lyra got ready to drop to the ground, but she heard DJ mutter, "Sorry," and her blaster exploded in the ginger man's hands. He cried out in pain, his shirt utterly destroyed and his arms and chest singed. The twi'lek man reached out to help him, but the human's pain quickly melted to rage, and he rushed at DJ and Lyra.

DJ side-stepped him, but Lyra didn't react fast enough. He crashed right into her, and they both went down. She tumbled on the floor with him for a few seconds and then felt his hands wrap around one of her lekku. White-hot pain shot from her head, the absolute worst pain she had ever experienced in her life. Her vision blacked out, her ears rang, and all thought ceased as her entire body was wracked with pain.

The next thing she recalled, she was being held against something very warm and soft. She couldn't see, couldn't really think, but she felt overwhelming comfort. There was a presence there. It was someone familiar, but not anyone she knew—not DJ or her boss, Szilb. No, this familiarity ran deeper, to a time long before she had taken the name Lyra.

Gradually her senses returned. She realized she was on the ground, and someone was with her. Large, strong hands were massaging the base of her lekku. As her vision cleared, she looked around. The man who had attacked her was lying unconscious on the ground. DJ was backing up toward the door. She was leaning against someone's soft, fleshy body.

She gazed up into blue eyes which matched her own, and not just in color. The twi'lek man was kneeling by her, steadying her against his wide frame with one arm while his other hand massaged her lekku. His face reminded her of something, somewhere in the very edges of her memory.

His massage stopped when he realized she was looking at him. "Ah. You're back."

"Who are you?" Lyra said. She tried to sound demanding, but her voice came out in a pathetic whisper.

He didn't immediately answer. "Doesn't matter," he said. "That's enough of this trouble." He moved away from her and stood up. Lyra felt a wave of disappointment as his warmth disappeared which was quickly followed by a massive headache.

"Where is DJ?" Lyra asked, rubbing at her eyes. She looked around the room, blinking back some blurriness from her vision.

The unmistakable sound of the elevator pad activating came from beyond the automatic door. Lyra stared at the closed door, then looked back to the twi'lek whose expression was twisting into that of anger. Slowly Lyra's confused brain put it together.

DJ was gone. Fucking thief.


End file.
